THE DEPUTY SECRETARY IN MALI - MEETINGS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAMAKO 001361 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2017 TAGS: PREL PINS ASEC ML SUBJECT: THE DEPUTY SECRETARY IN MALI - MEETINGS WITH PRESIDENT TOURE AND FOREIGN MINISTER REF: BAMAKO 01015 BAMAKO 00001361 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Political Officer Aaron Sampson, Embassy Bamako, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 1.(C) Summary: The Deputy Secretary's November 14-15 visit to Mali reaffirmed our strong bilateral ties and sent a clear message of support for Mali's Community of Democracy Presidency. President Toure acknowledged the important contribution of Millennium Challenge funds, expressed his heart-felt thanks to the Deputy Secretary for recent U.S. assistance to Malian troops fighting in the north, and pledged Mali's continued strong support for the U.S. in the fight against global terrorism. President Toure and the Deputy Secretary reviewed the difficult security issues in the north and throughout the Sahel region and also discussed Mali's offer of 800 soldiers for peacekeeping duty in Darfur and the possibility of finding a work-around on Mali's inability to sign an Article 98 Agreement. End Summary. -------------- Meeting with President Toure -------------- 2.(C) President Toure told the Deputy Secretary that he was extremely proud of what he described as Mali's privileged relationship with the U.S. He said one discovers one's true friends during times of crisis and thanked the Deputy Secretary for the September 11-12 air drop of humanitarian SIPDIS supplies to besieged Malian troops in the northern town of Tinzawaten (reftel). This humanitarian assistance, said the President, preserved the dignity and saved the image of the Malian Army. 3.(C) The Deputy Secretary responded that the air support was only possible thanks to the excellent level of U.S-Mali cooperation, and said he was extremely impressed by the spectrum of U.S. assistance to Mali which includes programs supported by the DOD, USAID, the Department of State, Peace Corps and now the MCC. The Deputy Secretary assured President Toure that the U.S. will continue our military cooperation with Mali. 4.(C) The President expressed concern over the deteriorating security in northern Mali, describing the current situation as "more and more worrisome." President Toure said Mali, which borders 7 other countries, is unable to patrol a frontier that totals more than 7,000 KM. In addition, the peace agreement that ended the Tuareg rebellion of the 1990s called for the withdrawal of Malian military forces from the north. Mali's compliance with this agreement created a security vacuum that terrorists, extremists and illicit traffickers have now turned to their advantage. 5.(C) President Toure described the continued standoff between the Malian government and Tuareg bandit Ibrahim Bahanga not as a new Tuareg rebellion but rather as an attempt by Bahanga to secure drug and gun trafficking zones. Mali regards Bahanga as a terrorist not because he is tied to AQIM but because Bahanga rejected the Algiers Accords, attacked Malian military and civilian officials, took these officials hostage, and planted land mines that have killed numerous civilians. While President Toure did not specifically link Bahanga to AQIM, he said Bahanga's actions have increased the instability that benefits AQIM. "Bahanga," said the President, "is strengthening banditry, insecurity, the fundamentalists and Algerian Salafists." Mali remains committed to a political solution and continues to hope that Bahanga will liberate the hostages and return to the framework of the Algiers Accords. 6.(C) Toure said Algeria was "overwhelmed" by the extremist threat that now forms a band from Mauritania through Mali as far as Chad and Libya. During a trip to Algiers later this month President Toure intends to propose a new security cooperation framework with Algeria based on the one Mali currently has with Mauritania. 7.(C) President Toure also requested increased U.S. military assistance. He said Mali is committed to fight terrorists who are supported by illicit traffickers but that new and largely untrained recruits currently comprise more than 60 percent of the Malian army. As a result, the Malian military needs equipment, training and more cooperation with the U.S. Mali also requires assistance to get its contribution to the Darfur peacekeeping mission off the ground. President Toure confirmed that in addition to approximately fifty Malian advisors currently working for the peacekeeping missions in Haiti, the DRC and Sudan, Mali has offered an additional battalion of 800 soldiers for Darfur peacekeeping duties. BAMAKO 00001361 002.2 OF 003 However, since all of Mali's military equipment is currently tied up by security issues in the north, Mali is unable to meet the material eligibility requirements for UN peacekeeping missions. If the logistical means - in the form of 26 Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) - appear, Mali's peacekeeping battalion is ready to go. 8.(C) The Deputy Secretary told the President that he had recently discussed the APC issue with Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer. The Deputy Secretary noted, however, that it is easier for the U.S. to provide counter-terrorism assistance than military equipment. Providing Mali with military hardware poses a problem given the absence of an Article 98 agreement. 9.(C) As he has stated previously, President Toure said he personally favored an Article 98 agreement. He added that the Malian National Assembly, however, would likely not ratify an agreement and the presidency would rather not open the door for a public debate in the Assembly on Malian national security. Given this restriction, the President said he was open to any other possibilities that could satisfy the Article 98 requirement. After the meeting with President Toure, Foreign Minister Ouane told the Deputy Secretary that Mali would work on a proposal. SIPDIS -------------- MCC has President's Personal Attention -------------- 10.(C) Turning to Mali's Millennium Challenge Compact, Toure praised Ambassador Danilovich's appearance on television the night before and his clear explanation of the MCC program. He said he knew that many African countries had applied for MCC support and that Mali's application was one of the few accepted. President Toure said he was pleased to see that two thirds of Mali's Compact focused on agricultural production. He said he was personally following the progress of Mali's Compact on a daily basis and had decided to locate the Malian government entity managing the Compact within the presidency to facilitate this oversight. The President then asked how the falling value of the dollar will impact the Compact's budget. 11.(C) Ambassador Danilovich said that of the 16 countries with MCC Compacts, Mali's program was one of the best and that he was convinced Mali's Compact would reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth. Amb. Danilovich told the President that the MCC would find a solution that would balance the falling value of the dollar and rising oil prices in a way that would not negatively affect Mali's Compact. 12.(C) At the close of the meeting, President Toure told the Deputy Secretary and Amb. Danilovich that he had recently heard a report on Radio France that described Mali as the "favorite child" of the U.S. President Toure said he was extremely happy to hear Mali described as such and that he agreed with the description. "You can," said the President, "count on us." -------------- Meeting with Foreign Minister -------------- 13.(C) Foreign Minister Ouane said it was an honor for Mali to welcome the Deputy Secretary, not only for the Community of Democracies Ministerial but for an important working visit to discuss U.S-Mali bilateral relations. Ouane stressed our shared security and development concerns and described Mali as a committed ally in the fight against terrorism. He said Mali's democratic convictions and firm stance against extremism provided the basis for a strong partnership with the U.S. Continued insecurity in northern Mali, however, is sapping Mali's already limited resources and hampering its ability to support development needs. He said Mali was "ready for resolute action against the enemies of liberty" and requested an enlarged strategic partnership with the U.S. 14.(C) Ouane said terrorist elements and influences currently found in northern Mali originated in Algeria. He drew a distinction between Malian Tuaregs and AQIM, noting that Mali's Tuareg population has disassociated itself with extremism and terrorist ideologies. He characterized Malian nationals, whether ethnic Tuareg or otherwise, who provide economic or logistical support to AQIM as bandits involved in trafficking everything from arms to drugs to cigarettes. Referring to illicit traffickers and AQIM, Ouane said this base must be suffocated so that this extremism does not spread. "We do not want," he continued, "terrorists using BAMAKO 00001361 003.2 OF 003 our territory as a safe haven. Their presence puts in question our security and that of the region." 15.(C) Minister Ouane also discussed Mali's view of stability in the sub-region. Ouane said the region is beginning to stabilize and cited recent democratic elections in Sierra Leone as one example. Ouane agreed that the situation in Cote d'Ivoire remained precarious. He said Mali follows developments in Cote d'Ivoire very closely due to the large population of Malian expats (perhaps as many as two million) living in the country, the importance of Cote d'Ivoire as a trade route for landlocked Mali, and the problems Mali encountered following the last influx of Ivoirian refugees into southern Mali. 16.(U) Participants in Meeting with President Toure United States: The Deputy Secretary Ambassador Danilovich, MCC CEO Ambassador McCulley D Staff Gustavo Delgado MCC Mali Director Jon Anderson Political Officer Aaron Sampson (notetaker) Mali: President Amadou Toumani Toure Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane Diplomatic Advisor Mamadou Traore Advisor Mamadou Tieoule Konate 17.(U) Participants in meeting w Foreign Minister United States: The Deputy Secretary Ambassador McCulley D Staff Gustavo Delgado Political Officer Aaron Sampson (notetaker) Mali: Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane Foreign Ministry Secretary General Moussa Diakite 18.(U) The Deputy Secretary's staff has cleared on this message. McCulley